Center for Service Leadership

Center for Service Leadership

Consistent with the WU mission, the Center for Service Leadership challenges students to pursue lives of purpose. Our students become servant leaders who make connections between the head, hands and heart.

Waynesburg University's commitment to service:

Involves partnerships with over 40 local, regional and international service agencies.

Engages students in service learning classes that blend lecture and practical application.

Provides mission and service trips throughout the summer and during school breaks.

Examples of Waynesburg University's service include:

Open Door and The Pittsburgh Project— two of our longest standing relationships.

The Bonner Program— a scholarship opportunity that connects students with financial need to a transforming service learning journey.

Classes

SLR 105-305, 1-3 credit hours

Waynesburg University offers a service-learning experience for one credit hour. A variable credit option is available to students seeking additional service opportunities. This course, which is part of the general education requirements for the Waynesburg University baccalaureate degree, provides the student with an opportunity to participate in service with a non-profit organization for a minimum of 30 hours a semester.

SLR 105, Service Learning I

A minimum of 30 hours of pre-approved, unpaid service in a non-profit organization. The service must be performed in the same semester in which the student is registered for the course. Learning activities that fulfill requirements for other courses or complete degree requirements cannot be used to fulfill the requirements for this course. Studetns will reflect upon their experience, it's current and future impact, and the implications for life-long learning through the writing of reflection papers, other brief writing assignments, the creation of an electronic or photographic portfolio, and a final paper. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the first level course during their freshmen or sophomore years. A student may repeat SLR 105 once for additional credit when the service is performed at a site different than the site where the first credit was performed.

Students will complete pre-approved, unpaid service experience within the context of a University-sponsored mission and service trip. The service must be performed as part of the designated trip experience. Students will reflect upon their experience, cross-cultural issues, and relevant social policies. Students will identify the implications for current and future impact upon them through the writing of reflection papers, other brief writing assignments, the creation of an electronic or photographic portfolio, and/or a final paper. Students may enroll in particular sections based upon the designated service experience and location. Levels of credit depend on two factors: the number of hours the student serves (30, 60 or 90) and the level of the learning activities in which the student engages. These courses fulfull the General Education Requirement in Service Learning (SLR 105).

SLR 205, Service Learning II

In addition to the requirements for SLR 105, students will perform an additional 30 hours of community service, for a total of 60 hours, and they will compose an additional research paper that investigates a situation encountered at the service site. This situation may relate to issues of providing service, agency structure and/or funding, individual psychological, sociological and/or public policy causes of the needs that the agency intends to meet, etc.

SLR 305, Service Learning III

Students will complete the requirements for SLR 205 in this course. In addition, they will perform an additional 30 hours of community service, for a total of 90 hours, and they will compose an additional research paper that identifies possible short-term and long-term solutions to the problems identified in the SLR 205 research paper. Students will also make a public, oral presentation of the findings of the research.

Mission/Service Trips

Waynesburg students selflessly volunteer more than 45,000 service hours annually in places like Argentina, Guatemala, Jamaica and Arizona.

We see service as more than long hours, sweat and sacrifice, our service is about:

Bonner Program

Waynesburg is proud to be one of only 27 Bonner Scholar Schools in the country. With support from the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation this unique scholarship program offers selected students financial assistance in return for a commitment to service while enrolled at Waynesburg.

As a Bonner Scholar School, Waynesburg University:

Awards 15 new Waynesburg University Bonner Scholarships each academic year.

Fosters a program with 60 students who each serve on average 10 hours per week.

To be considered for the Bonner Scholar program, an applicant must:

Carry a minimum 3.0 GPA and be placed in the top 40% of graduating high school class.